THE TIMES POLL : Mood Calm in Most of L.A. as Trial Nears End

As verdicts in the Rodney G. King civil rights trial draw near, residents throughout most of Los Angeles describe their neighborhoods as calm and say they have done nothing to protect themselves in the event of renewed violence, a Los Angeles Times Poll has found.

Although most residents worry that the verdicts will probably trigger another round of rioting, the majority do not believe that violence is inevitable and maintain confidence that police and city officials can quell another major outburst.

In fact, fully half of those questioned say they fear there is a greater danger that law enforcement officials will overreact and incite a new wave of violence.

“I think there is more likely to be an overreaction to compensate for the lack of reaction the last time,” said Beth Comstock, 33, of Hancock Park. “I think the police force has something to prove and this time they are operating with foreknowledge.”

Fifty-eight percent of residents of all ethnic backgrounds described their mood as calm, a sentiment shared among Latinos, Anglos and African-Americans, from the Eastside to the Westside and from the San Fernando Valley to the harbor. The poll found no evidence that outlying areas of the city were more fearful of violence than inner-city neighborhoods.

Significantly, although more residents living in areas unaffected by last spring’s unrest reported their neighborhoods as being calm, that was not the case in areas hardest hit by the violence. In those places, 47% of respondents reported their mood as tense, while 44% said emotions were running calm.

If there is an eruption of violence, 55% of Los Angeles city residents believe it will be less severe than last year’s sweeping disorder. Twenty-two percent believe that it will be worse.

The poll, conducted from Wednesday through Friday, provides cause for hope and pessimism as the city prepares for verdicts in the racially charged trial of four Los Angeles police officers accused of violating Rodney G. King’s civil rights.

The responses reveal a public with mixed emotions on many issues. Although 50% of Angelenos fear that police could overreact once the verdicts are announced, a bare majority also say they would favor deploying the National Guard on the streets before the verdicts and 7 out of 10 approve of allowing the police broad authority to make arrests during curfews.

Majorities of African-Americans (80%), Anglos (52%) and Latinos (65%) are inclined to believe that the police officers are guilty of the charges against them. Anglos are divided on whether the officers must be convicted for justice to be done. By contrast, 75% of African-Americans and 59% of Latinos say a just outcome requires that the officers be found guilty.

The question of whether renewed violence is justified if the officers are not convicted also produced divisions. Majorities of Anglos (79%), African-Americans (58%) and Latinos (53%) agreed that violence would be totally unjustified no matter what the verdicts. But sizable minorities of Latinos (40%) and African-Americans (32%) said they would consider violence partially or totally justified. Nineteen percent of Anglos thought renewed violence would be justified. The question provoked heated emotions.

“Blacks and other ethnic groups have been discriminated against by the police--whether they want to admit to it or not--and have a legitimate beef,” said poll respondent Elizabeth Barash, 66, a retired Los Angeles Community College employee from Van Nuys. “I hope that nothing happens, but if there is violence I will understand it. Whether it’s right or wrong is besides the point.”

But others disagreed.

Violence “is totally unjustified, it’s counterproductive and it’s not going to change the verdict,” said Harriet Seay, a 57 year-old homemaker from South-Central Los Angeles. “When you think in terms of the loss of jobs and possibly lives . . . it only leads to the devastation of the community.”

Conducted by Times Poll Director John Brennan, the survey interviewed 1,136 Los Angeles residents. It has a margin of error of 3 percentage points in either direction.

Despite a media blitz in recent weeks focused on the mood of the city and preparations for the possibility of renewed violence, 52% of residents agreed that the news media are simply doing their job by reporting the situation in the city rather than encouraging disorder. However, a majority of residents (59%) approved of barring news media helicopters from flying over certain parts of the city if police find that the flights interfere with law enforcement.

Some residents, though, said the news coverage should not be limited in any way.

“My feeling is the police don’t want the helicopters flying over because they don’t want to be ridiculed anymore,” said San Pedro resident Debra Carmona, 31. “If the media had not been out there reporting last time, a lot of us would have been stranded away from home.”

Jurors in the trial of officers accused of violating King’s civil rights began deliberations Saturday afternoon.

The not guilty verdicts for the officers in state court in Simi Valley last April 29 on charges that they used excessive force to subdue King triggered an eruption of violence that claimed at least 52 lives and caused an estimated $1 billion in damage.

Much of the city’s composure at this time may be because of the strong confidence expressed in the way Los Angeles Police Chief Willie L. Williams is handling preparations for the verdicts. Eight in 10 poll respondents said they approved of Williams’ planning, with only 10% disapproving. And a majority of residents (54%) say officials have done an adequate job of attempting to dispel rumors and ease tensions as the verdicts near. Only 37% said the city’s efforts were inadequate.

Still, the poll found a public disheartened by conditions in the city since last spring’s civil unrest. Seventy-six percent of respondents said things were going badly in the city, 78% said divisions and conflicts caused by the King beating were the same or worse, and an overwhelming 80% said not much has improved in their neighborhoods since the upheaval.

That gloomy outlook was shared across racial and geographic boundaries, with 82% of Westside and San Fernando Valley residents, 80% of central city residents and 75% of those living in South-Central Los Angeles saying not much has improved.

And despite evincing a generally calm mood, 75% of residents voiced concern that renewed violence would engulf their neighborhood and 78% said they worried that violence could spill over into areas where they work or travel.

“We are worried because we have heard on the streets that this time . . . (the violence) is going to travel to other neighborhoods,” said Sunit Gupta, a 32 year-old North Hollywood resident. “Last year we saw the mob mentality, and when that rules, all innocent people have problems.”

But the concerns of Gupta and others did not appear to translate into concrete actions among the majority of residents.

Three in five residents (60%) said they have not taken actions to protect themselves in case of renewed violence. Of those who have taken steps, 14% say they are stocking food supplies, 7% say they plan to stay at home after the verdicts are announced, 4% say their employers have devised an emergency plan and 4% say they have bought a gun.

African-Americans, particularly, are stocking up on food supplies. A higher number of Latinos say they will stay inside.

On the question of what can be done to prevent another outbreak of rioting, most residents identified better law enforcement as the most useful approach. Twenty percent said beefing up the police force was the most important action to take to forestall more riots, 22% identified better policing as the remedy, 12% thought deployment of the National Guard would work and 14% said the city must come together if it is to avoid a replay of violence.

Many issues identified by urban experts as underlying social causes of the riots received scant attention from respondents. Only 1% of residents thought more government aid was needed to prevent another outbreak of rioting, 4% thought education was the answer and 5% believed more jobs were needed. Equality of justice was identified as the most important factor in stemming future unrest by 5% of residents and 4% said heightened police sensitivity was the key.

How the Poll Was Conducted

The Times Poll interviewed 1,136 adults in the city of Los Angeles by telephone from April 7 to 9. Telephone numbers were chosen from a list of all exchanges in the city. Random-digit dialing techniques were used to ensure that listed and non-listed numbers had an opportunity to be contacted. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. The sample was weighted slightly to conform with census figures for sex, race, age and household size. The margin of sampling error for the total sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points. For certain subgroups the error margin is somewhat higher. Poll results can also be affected by other factors such as question wording and the order in which questions are presented.

THE TIMES POLL: City’s Views Before the Verdicts

As the Rodney G. King civil rights trial verdicts near, most city residents report that their neighborhoods are calm and most have faith that police can quell disturbances if they come. Three-quarters of African-Americans and 3 in 5 Latinos feel that a guilty verdict is necessary to ensure justice while Anglos are divided on that question. The sample of Asian-Americans is too small to be listed separately, but that group’s opinions are included in the total and regional breakdowns.

Answers to questions are broken down by ethnic group and by region of the city, according to the following key: West: Westside SFV: San Fernando Valley Central: Central part of Los Angeles Southern: Southern section of Los Angeles

* So far, do you think the trial of the four police officers is biased in favor of the officers, or biased against the officers, or do you think it is generally unbiased, or is it still too early to say right now?

Total Anglo Black Latino West SFV Central Too early to say 36% 32% 37% 44% 25% 41% 36% Biased in favor 17% 10% 39% 23% 12% 12% 16% Biased against 11% 16% 5% 9% 9% 15% 9% Generally unbiased 24% 28% 12% 16% 43% 21% 23% Don’t know 12% 14% 7% 8% 11% 11% 16%

Southern Too early to say 37% Biased in favor 28% Biased against 10% Generally unbiased 17% Don’t know 8%

* In order for justice to be done, do you think the four police officers on trial in the King civil rights case must be found guilty, or is it possible that justice can be done if the officers are not convicted of the charges?

Total Anglo Black Latino West SFV Central Must be found guilty 49% 37% 75% 59% 30% 41% 57% Justice can be done 29% 40% 14% 21% 34% 38% 22% if not convicted Don’t know 22% 23% 11% 20% 36% 21% 21%

Southern Must be found guilty 64% Justice can be done 23% if not convicted Don’t know 13%

* Say the four police officers are not convicted of the charges against them. In that case, do you think renewed violence is inevitable or can it be prevented?

Total Anglo Black Latino West SFV Central Southern Inevitable 33% 37% 32% 34% 34% 38% 31% 28% Prevented 58% 54% 60% 59% 61% 54% 57% 63% Don’t know 9% 9% 8% 7% 5% 8% 12% 9%

* Are you very confident, somewhat confident, somewhat doubtful or very doubtful that the Police Department and other law enforcement officials will be able to protect your neighborhood adequately in the event of renewed violence after the verdicts?

Total Anglo Black Latino West SFV Central Very confident 24% 19% 25% 33% 27% 22% 21% Somewhat confident 35% 43% 39% 26% 35% 40% 33% Somewhat doubtful 23% 22% 18% 24% 25% 24% 20% Very doubtful 14% 12% 13% 14% 11% 11% 20% Don’t know 4% 4% 5% 3% 2% 3% 6%

Southern Very confident 30% Somewhat confident 31% Somewhat doubtful 24% Very doubtful 11% Don’t know 4%

* How would you describe the mood in your neighborhood as the verdicts in the King civil rights trial near? Would you say your neighborhood is tense or calm as it awaits the verdicts?

Total Anglo Black Latino West SFV Central Southern Tense 32% 27% 37% 37% 34% 23% 36% 37% Calm 58% 60% 54% 54% 53% 66% 56% 55% Don’t know 10% 13% 9% 9% 13% 11% 8% 8%

* What’s a greater danger right now in Los Angeles: That law enforcement officials will underreact and let a new wave of violence get out of hand, or that law enforcement officials will overreact, inciting a new wave of violence? (Accept “neither” or “both equally” as volunteered responses.)

Total Anglo Black Latino West SFV Central Southern Underreact 17% 24% 5% 15% 15% 21% 17% 15% Overreact 50% 39% 67% 56% 48% 44% 52% 56% Neither/Both 17% 24% 11% 13% 15% 23% 13% 16% Don’t know 16% 13% 17% 16% 22% 12% 18% 13%

* In their reporting of the mood in the city as the King civil rights trial verdicts near, do you think the news media are improperly encouraging renewed civil unrest or are the news media simply doing their job by reporting the situation in the city as it is?

Total Anglo Black Latino West SFV Central Inciting violence 42% 52% 39% 30% 49% 49% 36% Reporting as is 52% 42% 50% 66% 45% 47% 62% Don’t know 6% 6% 11% 4% 6% 4% 2%

Southern Inciting violence 37% Reporting as is 50% Don’t know 13%

Source: Los Angeles Times Poll